Make Shopping Easier

I go shopping a lot (obviously). After spending hours and hours with aching arms and feet, I have learned that a few simple things can make a long shopping trip much easier.

1. Wear Comfortable Shoes

Please please please, don’t act like this is an excuse to wear Crocs out in public. Nobody should wear Crocs ever, anywhere! K?! Just wear a pair of shoes you know don’t hurt your feet or give you blisters and you won’t have to suffer.

2. Wear A Dress and the Proper Undergarments

If you are naturally uncomfortable in a dress, then don’t wear one. However, I have found that wearing a dress to the mall or a store minimizes the amount of time you spend in the dressing room because you only have one article of clothing you are pulling on and off. You don’t even need to remove your dress if you are only trying on pants. Additionally, if you find yourself in a sample or warehouse sale where there is one mass dressing room that you have to share with strangers (or worse, no dressing room at all) then having a dress on allows you to try on t-shirts, sweaters, pants, and shorts all without removing any clothing. Depending on how comfortable you are with bearing your body, you want to choose the proper undergarments for trying on clothes as well. It’s quite distracting when the simplicity of the outfit you are trying on is muddled by inappropriate underwear. I prefer a strapless bra because you can easily try on any type of strapless or one shouldered garment without having to wonder what it would look like with your underwear peeking out. I also try to wear tan underwear incase I grab a pair of white pants or a white skirt. It is so relieving to know what an outfit will look like right when you try it on.

3. Leave Your Coat In The Car

If it is winter, you probably have a big heavy coat or sweater. If you have a car nearby, and you are not going to be spending long periods of time outside (sadly, this doesn’t work if you’re shopping in NY or something) then leave your coat in the car. The short power-walk to and from the car is nothing compared to the horrible reality of lugging a 10 pound jacket around during your entire shopping experience. Trust me, being cold for a minute is way better than feeling like your don’t have any free arms to look at merchandise and carry it around.

4. Think About Your Purse

You don’t want your purse to hinder your ability to carry your shopping bags and possible purchases. I prefer a small, cross-body bag. Those things never get in the way. However, if you don’t have a cross-body bag or small book bag, at least use a purse that has a strap long enough that you can put it on your shoulder and have your arms free. You definitely don’t want to be messing around with a clutch or something you’d have to put down at some point. Additionally, you don’t want your bag to be heavy. If you are like me, your shopping bags and the mountains of clothes you take into the dressing room are enough to weigh you down. You don’t want to also be lugging around a purse filled with two water bottles, a hair dryer, and $30 in change. So, attempt to clean out your purse before a long day of shopping.

5. Don’t Forget To Eat And Drink

I get so excited when I’m shopping that I will go about 6 hours without eating or drinking anything, which is bad. Remember to drink water before spending a lot of time walking around. Maybe even bring a small pint sized water bottle in your purse. Usually you can grab something to eat at the mall or wherever you are. If you are like me then the buzz of retail is enough to make you forget you are hungry. Sometimes I will keep a granola bar in my purse to munch on when my shopping partner is not finished at a store before I am (that way, at least I am eating something).

6. Bring A List

We bring lists grocery shopping, do we not? What’s wrong with doing the same thing when you are clothes shopping? There is no harm in going clothes shopping without a specific target in mind. However, I usually have an idea of things that I am looking for. Around this time, I am looking for Oxford Shoes, Purses, and Belts. Keeping a list with you can keep you from spending too much time wandering around aimlessly. It can also hinder you from spending too much money. Say you are looking for jeans and sun dresses but you find a bathing suit that you think is really cute but maybe a tad too expensive. If you give your list a quick glance and realize you don’t need bathing suit enough to have it on the list, then it probably isn’t worth it! Your list will remind you of exactly what you need and don’t need and you will finish your trip more satisfied.